Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury today called upon the Oikyafront leaders elected in the December 30 national election to take oath as lawmakers of the 11th parliament.

“There is still time for those MPs who did not to take oath yet,” Dr Shirin said after paying homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar.

Shirin Sharmin was elected as speaker of the parliament for the third consecutive term during the first session of the 11th parliament yesterday.

"As the speaker, I want to make the Jatiya Sangsad functional by giving equal opportunity to all treasury bench, opposition and independent lawmakers,” she said.

Deputy Speaker of the parliament Advocate Fazle Rabbi Miah also paid homage at the National Memorial.

A total of eight leaders of the Jatiya Oikyafront including six of its key component BNP were elected in the December 30 national election but did not take oath as lawmakers of the parliament yet.

The Oikyafront and the BNP rejected the election result bringing the allegation of vote rigging and ballot stuffing and demanded a fresh election under a nonpartisan caretaker government.   

Two MPs-elect from the Gonoforum will not be joining parliament, the party has decided.

Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain, also a top leader of the Jatiya Oikyafront, made the announcement while talking to reporters at his Motijheel chamber yesterday, following a meeting of the opposition alliance's steering committee.

"We've clearly conveyed to them [the two MPs] our party's decision of not joining parliament, and they won't do it," he said.

The two MPs-elect -- Sultan Mohammad Mansur (Moulvibazar-2) and Mokabbir Khan (Sylhet-2) -- have reportedly expressed their desire to join parliament, going against the alliance's decision.

The BNP, the Gonoforum and some other parties joined the December 30 polls under the banner of the Oikyafront. The BNP bagged six seats while the Gonoforum two. However, the alliance rejected the polls, alleging "massive irregularities". They also demanded a fresh election.

Meanwhile, the Oikyafront yesterday announced a two-day programme, including a demonstration wearing black badges and holding a public hearing, protesting what it called "vote robbery" in the election.

The alliance's spokesperson, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, announced the programme after the meeting.

"Today's Oikyafront steering committee meeting decided to hold a demonstration wearing black badges in front of the Jatiya Press Club on February 6," he said.

Besides this, he said, their alliance would hold a public hearing, with the participation of the Oikyafront candidates and the “victimised voters”, on February 24.

Fakhrul said they would later announce the names of the venues.

He said their alliance deferred its national dialogue, which was scheduled for February 6.

On January 17, the Oikyafront announced that it would hold a national dialogue in the capital demanding fresh polls after rejecting the 11th parliamentary election results.

Apart from Fakhrul, JSD President ASM Abdur Rob, General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan, Gono Forum Executive President Subrata Chowdhury, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Krishak Sramik Janata League General Secretary Iqbal Siddiqui and Gonoshasthya Kendra Founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, among others, joined the meeting chaired by Dr Kamal.

Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain today laid emphasis on spreading the call for unity to every locality to free the country from 'autocracy' and establish 'effective' democracy.

 "Those who want to continue autocratic rule, they create divisions among people and use the communalism for their parochial party interests. The autocratic rule can be removed if people remain united. We must spread the call for unity to all localities, districts and villages," he said.

Dr Kamal further said, "We had got huge response to the call of unity and succeeded in the past. We'll have to go to all localities and villages with the call for unity. We need to consolidate our unity so that people can play an effective role as the real owners of the country. That's why we're calling for the unity."

He came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion arranged by Muktijote, a political platform, at the Jatiya Press Club.

Dr Kamal also the president of Gonoforum, said democracy, the rule of law and constitutional rule will be restored while the nation's desired goal can be achieved if people get back their ownership of the country and can play their due role.

"Let's all the common people get united and gain the strength to become the real owners of the country. We'll get effective democracy and we'll be able to establish people's governance at all levels, including district and local ones, if we only can get united," he observed.

The Oikyafront chief said they are giving importance to the national unity to bring the country under the control of people. "As per the constitution, people are the owners of the country, not any temporary government. Even, a legal government is only the representative of the country's owners. Those who grab power illegally, they are nothing, but the usurpers of power."

He said the 'despotic regime' tries to cling to power by destroying power and weakening people in various ways. "They neither want to admit that people are the owners of the country nor want to empower them."

Dr Kamal warned that no autocratic ruler could stay in power in the face of united resistance of people. "Though autocrats could remain in power for a temporary period, but they finally had to go. They never succeeded."

Stating that the next election is very important, he said they will take steps for giving democracy an institutional shape and bringing dynamism into the economy for building a bright future of the country. "People are in favour of us, and this's our big strength."

Speaking at the programme, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob) President ASM Abdur Rob said the current government does not allow people to hold meetings, rallies and express their opinions for 'lack of' the rule of law and democracy.

He said the country is now run as per the 'whims of one person' as the government has destroyed all the state institutions. "The country is now in a danger. Terrorism is going on in the name of development. It can't continue for a long time."

He said the nation was annihilated through the killing of Buet student Abrar for taking a stance in favour of the country. "Our future national existence has been put at stake through the killing of Abrar. The government will face the fall for the murder of Abrar."

He said people want to get rid of 'misrule' and 'vote robbery, through a qualitative change in the country's political culture. "People must be made the owners of the country and the government must be accountable to people."

Gonoforum general secretary Dr Reza Kibria said the country's people hate the current government for its 'repressive acts and misrule'.

Describing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia as the most popular leader in the country, he said the government has kept her in jail 'unfairly'. "We demand her unconditional release."